Guardrail assembly for railroad track equipment



May .17, 1949. l.. SPENCER GUARDRAIL ASSEMBLY FOR RAILROAD TRACK EQUIPMENT Filed June '7, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 17 1949- l.. SPENCER 2,470,662

GUARDRAIL ASSEMBLY FOR RAILROAD TRACK EQUIPMENT Filed June-7, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l HLA* J3 "pf INVENTOR LEE SPENCER ATTORNEY Patented May 17, 1949 UNITEDv GUARDRAIL ASSEMBLY FOR RAILROAD TRACKl EQUIPMENT LeenS-pencen, Phoenix,y Ariz., assigner vto American Brake shoeompany, New YorkN'.v Y., arcor- -v poration of Del'msrare ApplicationJune4 7, 1944; SerialrNof5B9074 (CLA 238919) 3.Claims. 1,

The invention relates to railroad track equipment and more particularly to improved guard rail structures. The invention further relates to devices for stiffening or strengthening the guard rail without interfering with clamps, braces or other equipment ordinarily used.

According to a preferred form ofthe invention, the guardl rail structure .comprises a guard rail having out-turned ends with spacer blocks engaging the main or running rail. Some of the tie plates underlying the main and guardxrails have welded plug stops between the mainA and guard rails. Certain of the tie plates may have additional Welded plug stops on the outer side of the guard rail. Other tie plates: mayhave rail braces welded thereto on the outer sides of the guard rail. rlhe stiiiening members may be located between the ties, each member comprising a vertical flange suitablyy bolted to. the web of the guard rail and having :av shoulder engaging the ylower fillet of the guardrail Web. The stiffeners have horizontal foot portions'engaging under the base flange of therunning rail whereby the Weight of trains on the-running railhelpspreventxthe Vguard rail from tipping.

The invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction andcombina-f tions of parts hereinafter set forth andclaimed.

Although the novel features which. are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as toits objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View illustrating the guard rail structure according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line22*of Fig. 1 through one oi the intermediate tie plates;

Fig. 3 is a sectionon the line 3--3 of Fig. 1 through the center tie plate;

Fig. llv is a section on the line 6 4 of Fig. 1 through a stiffening member; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective ofone ofthe individual stifening members.

In the following description andin the claims, various details will be identified by' specic names aforA convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit.A

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In thedrawings accompanying and forming 2:' partfof thisV specification, certain specinc disclosure ofthe invention: is.` made for `purposes -of'expianation, blutit Willbeunderstood v'that thedtailsmaybe'modiiiedin various respects without 1departure from the broad aspects of the invenlon..

Referring now-.to the drawings, thev guard frail assembly comprises generall-ythe running raill 'I 9i, guardzrailfld and tieplatesi If, I2; llwhichrest upon. the usual woodenttiest Central tie plate IB'andrend'tie plate I lare-lunbraeed but intermediate tie plates IZf'haveraili-bracesI5? Guard railstiifenersindicated by I 6I areloeated between the several ties, there being-four stieners shown in the particular. illustration.

Thetie.` plates II, I2'- and" I3=` are koil-generally similar construction with certain differences pointed out below. Each `tie plate has ribs- 21 'on theilowerside thereof contacting the ties 9; Each tie platev also has `an inclined seat ZZf'rfor inclining'thef'runningrail I S at aslight angle to the other running rail in accordance with modernv railroad practice; The tie'plates are also provdedtwith shoulders. 2t against which thebase fiangerot'the running rail If'abuts. Tie plates I2 and" I3," but not I I, are-alsoy provided between the rails, with'plug'sto'ps 32set into holes in the tie plateand fwelded thereto by'- weldingV 33 as indicated in. Fig. 1.

The'tie plates valso havespike holes liwhich have their outerv edges stepped'to'accornmodatel diferent widths of running rail base. Spikesil are shown passing through the stepped holes I9 Vhaving `heads overlying the base flange/ofthe running rail I0:

Intermediate tie plates `I Zhavestandard braces I5 Welded thereto. Eaclrbrace I5 is made up of a vertical portion ZS'engaging'the fishing surface under the head'oftheguard rail- Ii-*and over the base 'flange thereof; The-braceilias a base 21' and a diagonal 28'connecting the angu; larlyk related portions` 26iand 21. Thebrace is connected to the tie plate I2 by welding 29" along both sides andthe end ofthe base 21 as.indi.. cated particularly in Fig. .1.

The. rail bracesA 28fabut the .outside ofv the guard.` railIIIl and hold the cut off` base: flange 3001"- the guardrail against plugstopsf?z Spike: holesfor spikes 3l!x passthrough both. the' base- Zl of the rail brace andzrtheftie-'plate oneither side: Mathe-diagonal:|5.E A thirdyhole forraspike.` la: passesi'through the tie plate .1. but not: the.A rail. brace:

The" `centraltieplate :I 3 hasno` rail lbrace but the guard rail thrust is taken by a pair of plug stops 40 set in holes in the tie plate on the outer side of the guard rail. Suitable welding 4I connects the plug stops 40 to the tie plates. The tie plates I3 are provided with spike holes through which spikes 36 are driven into the tie beneath.

The end tie plates II have plug stops 45 set in holes in the tie plate and connected by welding 46. The plug stops bear against the outer side of the ared ends 60 of the guard rail to take the guard rail thrust. The end tie plates also have holes for spikes corresponding to spikes 36 of tie plate I3.

Referring now also to Figs. 4 and 5, the stiieners I6 each comprise a web plate 50 having an offset knee 5I, a depending leg 53 and a horizontal foot 54. The knee portion 5I provides a shoulder abutting the lower iillet 52 of the web of the guard rail I4. .The web plate 50 is provided with spaced holes through which two nut and bolt assemblies 55 pass, these also passing through the web of the guard rail I4. The stiffeners I6 may be conveniently made from flat rolled plate steel stock bent and forged to nal shape.

The ends 5I) of the guard rail are bent as indicated to form iiared easer surfaces and spacing blocks 58 are provided, one at each end. These spacing blocks are so shaped as to fit the fishing contours of both the running rail and the guard rail and are connected to the guard rail I 4 by nut and bolt assemblies 59. The spacing blocks 58 have recesses to accommodate the heads of the bolts 59. It will be noted that the spacing blocks 58 are held in abutting position against the running rail but the bolts do not pass through the running rail.

As the wheels of rolling stock roll along the running rail I0, the wheel anges pass through the flangeway between the running and guard rails. As the Wheel flanges engage the guard rail I4, they apply thereto a lateral stress tending to tip it over. This stress is resisted by the rail braces I5 and by the plug stops 40 and 45 at points over the ties. At points between the ties this lateral stress is resisted by the stiieners I5, the force being applied to the stiifeners through the bolt assemblies 55 and the engagement of the knee 5I with the lower llet 52, these forces tending to raise the feet 54 of the stiifeners. However, the feet 54 which engage under the base flange of the running rail are held down by the weight of the train on the running rail, thus providing a simple and automatic stilening action wherein the weight of the train helps resist the lateral thrust of the wheels against the guard rail.

Thus a guard rail construction is provided which is both effective and economical. The stiieners can be applied to an old guard rail already in place or to a new guard rail. They are easy to install and can be applied to the track without drilling or machining or seriously interfering with the main or running rail. A guard rail assembly made up of the stiffeners, guard rail, braces, plug stops, end spacing blocks, and tie plates may be conveniently assembled in the shop and applied to the running rail as a unit. The stifeners may be used not only with fabricated or built-up guard rail constructions of the type illustrated in the drawing, but also with. other types of guard rail structure. They may be applied to guard rails such as used opposite the frogs of turn-outs and also to long guard `railing such as used on sharp railway curves.

These stiffeners relieve and reinforce the braces, clamps or other fixtures ordinarily used, so that if desired, some of these fixtures may be eliminated.

The shoulder on the stiffener engaging the lower llet of the guard rail web relieves the stiffener bolts from strain. If desired, the bolt holes may have suincient clearance around the bolts to relieve the bolts from shearing stress. In addition, the use of two bolts insures holding the stifeners in position in case one bolt should fail. The weight of the train on the running rail holds the stieners down and thus prevents tipping of the guard rail. This action is accomplished with a minimum of wear on the contacting surfaces of stiffener and running rail since the stiifener does not hold up the weight of the train and thus there is less likelihood of the foot breaking off. The stiifener foot extends well under the running rail to provide increased wearing surface and to take care of inaccuracies in assembly. The stiffeners give support at points between the ties and may be placed not only near the center of the guard rail but near the ends where the gentle curvature of the guard rail carries it away from the running rail. The shoulders 23 act as stops for the running rail and if desired, spike holes may be provided in the tie plates at the inner side of the running rail for spikes to engage over the inner base flange of the running rail to supplement the shoulders 23.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed herein, and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a structure for stifiening a guard rail of standard rolled rail section, said structure comprising a running rail, the said guard rail cf standard rolled rail section having a cut-off base iiange with its cut-off edge adjacent but spaced from the base flange of the running rail, a plurality of stiffening angles, each stiiening angle comprising a vertical web plate and a flat horizontal foot, said stiifening angles having their web plates disposed against the guard rail web at locations spaced along the length of the guard rail, each said web plate having an opening, said guard rail web having openings in register with the web plate openings of the several stiffening angles, clamping bolts in the respective registered openings, said web plates extending downwardly between said cut-oi edge and the edge of the base iiange of the running rail, said angle stiffeners having their feet engaging the under surface of said running rail base flange and terminating short of the remote edge of said running rail base iiange, all said stiiiening angles having the same section regardless of position along the length of the guard rail to permit the same angle to be used at any point regardless of guard rail flare, and a plurality of tie plates under said rails at locations between said stiiening angles, said tie plates having abutments on the side of the guard rail remote from the running rail, whereby the tie plate abutments take the horizontal thrust of the guard rail caused by car wheels, and whereby said stiffening angles are free to stiifen the guard rail web and to prevent tilting or rolling of the guard rail without otherwise interfering with relative movement between said guard rail and running rail.

2. The guard rail structure according to claim 1 in which the web plates each have an offset portion forming a shoulder engaging the lower fillet REFERENCES CITED of the web of the guard rail to relieve shearing The following references are of record in the stress on said bolts. file 0f this patenti The guard rail structure accordmg to clairn UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 1n whlch rail braces are provided at certam tie plates, said braces engaging the web of the Num-bel Name Date guard rail and secured to their respective tie 267,565 Morden Nov. 14, 1882 plates to stiffen the guard rail at locations be- 509,788 Baker NOV. 28, 1893 tween said stiffening angles. 10 564,350 Vaughan July 21, 1896 797,939 Clary Aug. 22, 1905 LEE SPENCER. 1,770,009 Packer July 8, 1930 2,019,743 Stewart NOV. 5, 1935 

